Ball-cover for ear-jewels



(No Model.)

G. W. WASHBURN.

BALL COVER FOR EAR JEWELS.

No. 321,407. Patented June 80, 1885.

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. I 155/ 728;? .flztorngr UNITED STATES PArnNr @FlFllQEO GEORGE V. W'ASHBURN, OF \VEST NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

BALL-COVER FOR EAR-J EIWELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,407, dated June 30, 1885.

Application filed March 27, 1885. (No model.)

To (bZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE \VAsH- BURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVest New Brighton, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement. in Ball-Covers for Ear-Jewels, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore ball-covers or spherical inclosing masks or shields for solitaire or smallcluster ear-jewels, have, in common with other similar articles, been made in one or the other of two ways, viz., with a simple frictional lap-joint, or hinged and provided with aclosing-spring.

The main object of this invention is to provide them, instead of with either of such joints, with a more secure double-acting concealed fastening, hereinafter set forth and claimed; and another object is to prcvide, by means of a partial bezel, as hereinafter set forth and claimed, for maximum thinness at the notches which accommodate the suspending-rings of the ear-wires, so that the ball-covers shall be suited to jewel-settings hung close to the ear-wires, and at the I same time for an ample lap-joint at and adjacent to the hinge and fastenings, so that the parts shall be properly aligned with each other in closing the ball-cover and while the same is being worn.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of these drawings is a perspective view of a closed ball-cover, illustrating this invention. Fig. 2 representsamagnified sec tion thereof in a central plane at right angles to its hinge-pintl'e. Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a sect-ion on the line at 4, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an edge View on the same scale as Figs. 2, 3, and 4:, showing the cover open.

Likeletters ofrefercnce indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The principal parts of this improved ballcover are two hollow hemispherical halves or half-covers, A B, and a partial bezel, O. Said half-covers may be identical with each other, and have anypreferred external finish, a close butt-joint, j, a pair of small opening-knobs, k 7;, and the suspending-ring aperture a, Figs. 1 and 2,

formed by notches in the respective half-covers, being the only exterior features. The half-covers are preferably made of thin gold, with their edges strengthened and thickened by internal rims, "r 0'. These are preferably of triangular crosssection, are soldered fast,and are continuous, save at said aperture a, which crosses them. Said bezel G is permanently connected with the upper halfcover, A, by a hinge -bar, I), soldered fast within the latter at its upper end, and ahingepintle, h, extending through a transverse sleeve at the lower end of said bar and soldered fast to the bezel inside, the upper edge or" the bezel being notched at mid-length to accommodate said hinge-bar. The bezel is connected with the lower half-cover, B, by hook-shaped stud-pintles s s, soldered fast to the rim 1' of the latter, and occupying notches a a in the extremities of the bezel, and also by a projection, a), on the bezel below the hinge, bent, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to engage with said rim 1- when the ball-cover is open, Fig. 5. In assembling the parts said projection :11; is so bent to prevent accidentally separating them.

The ball-cover is fastened closed by a pair of binders or snap-catches, c c, in the form of lugs on the upper edge of said bezel O, having outwardly-projecting bulges, which interlock with the rim 2' of said upper half-cover, A, about in line with the transverse diameter of the ball-cover, so as to keep its joint tightly and securely closed at all points.

Between the stud-pintles s s and the hinge b h the bezel 0 projects when the ball-cover is opened, as shown in Fig. 5, and to a less but ample extent for a lap-joint when the ballcover is closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to align the half-covers with each other and preserve a smooth joint. At and adjacent to the suspending -ring aperture a there is simply the thickness of the half-covers and their rims, as shown in Figs. 2 and a, so that a j ewel-setting hung as close as maybe to the ear-wire is readily embraced.

Having thus described my said improvement in ball-covers for ear-jewels, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. An improved ball-cover for ear-jewels, composed of a pair of halt covers and a bezel,

the latter secured within one half-cover and connected with the otherhalf-cover by a hinge, and a pair of binders or snap-catehes forming an inclosed double-acting fastening, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a ball-cover for ear-jewels, the combination of a half-cover provided internally with a pair of stud-pintles, a half-cover provided internally with a hinge-bar and an edgerim, and a partial bezel hinged at its extremities on said stud-pintles and at mid-length to said hinge bar by a pintle parallel with the former, and constructed with a pair of binders or snap-catches to coaot with said rim, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a ball-cover for earjewels, of a pair of half-covers and a partial bezel, the latter secured within one half-cover and hinged within the other at mid-length, diametrically opposite the suspending-ring aperture of the ball-cover, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

7 GEO. WV. WASHBURN.

\Vitnesses:

ISAAC P. HUBBARD, CHAS. J AMES. 

